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Keyboard Concerto No 6 in F major, BWV1057

Introduction

A bit of clever recycling resulted in the creation of the Concerto No 6 in F major, BWV1057. You can be forgiven if you don’t immediately recognize it as the Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in G major, BWV1049; the tunes will be familiar, but the scoring is not. The original concerto has two solo flutes, and they remain in this version, but the addition of a solo keyboard part (largely replacing the solo violin) is a novelty. It is not really a true solo concerto, as the keyboard shares the limelight with the flutes, but it nevertheless demands a very advanced technique, especially in the make-or-break outbursts of the finale. The slow movement, marked Andante, is a processional, making great use of echo effects between orchestra and keyboard. The finale shows how effortlessly Bach combined both fugal and concerto forms, with the opening entries of the subject followed by brilliant episodes for the three soloists. The joy and virtuosity that we find in the last movement of the Italian Concerto, BWV971 (also in F major) are much in evidence here.

Recordings

The Retrospect Ensemble continues its highly acclaimed series of recordings with this latest album of Bach's Harpsichord Concertos. Matthew Halls directs from the harpsichord in this elegantly virtuosic Bach performance. Revel in this fascinating ...» More

'Her playing is absolutely captivating: she decorates the solo part with playful, come-hither ornamentation—twirls, flutters, arabesques—and yet it ne ...'Hewitt's Bach is well-known for its expressive restraint, lucid textures and rhythmic grace. These virtues are abundantly present in her thoughtful, ...» More

'Hewitt's Bach is well-known for its expressive restraint, lucid textures and rhythmic grace. These virtues are abundantly present in her thoughtful, ...'The familiar argument that Bach would have written for a piano if only he had had one is nowhere given more persuasive advocacy than in Hewitt's sing ...» More